Are you Vegetarian?

[Cookee]

Just curious who amoung us is vegatarian. How long have you been vegetarian? Why?

[Dean Dwyer]

I am.

How long? 15 years!

Why? Mad cow. As a youngerster I was attacked by a very aggressive and irate cow and still sport the lick scars to prove it. I

n all seriousness, initially it was for weight loss purposes, however the more I read on the topic the more horrified I was at the treatment of the animals we are consuming. I made the decision that if I was going to be an animal lover/advocate then all my actions would have to be consistent with that decision. I have been a vegetarian every since.

[Mara]

Hi everyone!!!Well,I never liked meat.I used to cry every day at lunchtime when I was little (as young as 3 or 4 year old).I didn't like the idea of meat.I liked cows and I didn't understand why we had to eat something that used to be alive,and had a mother and a father.I didn't like the idea that a living being had to die so I could be fed either,while there were so many other thing to eat.My family never let me go veggie,but when I left home I gradually made the switch.Then a doctor told me it was a bad idea because I have chronic anaemia....But eventually I stopped the meat eating,and fired the doctor,because it didn't make sense to me that I still had to eat meat AND take Iron supplements.I'm still on the supplements,but been meat-free for about 6 years.I haven't had a flu in like 4 years,and I feel great!Sorry if I talk to much!!!

[Dean Dwyer]

Details are great Mara. I didn't have that awareness unfortunately when I was a wee lad...but better late than never. Is your husband vegetarian as well? I always wondered how married couples navigated through this issue.

[Mara]

well,funny you ask...I never really gave him a choice.I was already a vegetarian when we met.I told him:this is me,I don't eat meat,I don't cook meat,I don't touch meat.He never really liked meat much (which is weird,South Africans love meat,they eat it every day and it's like the national dish..."braai",which is a barbecue).After we got married,he would only eat it we went to someone else's for dinner,or like half of the time we went out to a restaurant.But in the last year he has chosen not to eat any meat anywhere.I'm very proud of him.He's also an animal lover.